ADL: Wikipedia bans several editors for spreading antisemitic rhetoric, misinformation on Gaza war

[Beastly Boy]

Wikipedia has banned several editors for using the platform to spread antisemitic rhetoric and misinformation about Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, the Anti-Defamation League says.These users have spread “malicious, false and biased information about Zionism and Israel across the platform,” says the ADL.

An arbitration committee for the collaborative online encyclopedia banned the users Iskandar323, Selfstudier, Nableezy, Levivich and Nishidani from the Israel-Palestine discussion for operating in bad faith, the watchdog says. Another editor, Ivana, was previously banned from all editing.

Following the decision, “it is now imperative for Wikipedia to begin work immediately to undo the harm caused by these rogue but prolific editors who literally have wreaked havoc across the platform,” the ADL says. “As we have said before, Wikipedia needs to wake up to the reality that this is a systemic problem across the platform that needs immediate action. There is still a lot more that must be done to ensure that Wikipedia can live up to its policy around the encyclopedia holding a neutral point of view.”

The ADL was labeled as “generally unreliable” regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by Wikipedia’s editors in June. The organization charged that all of the banned users had taken part in a coordinated campaign to smear its credibility.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/adl-wikipedia-bans-several-editors-for-spreading-antisemitic-rhetoric-misinformation-on-gaza-war/

[SickOfTheOnePct]

2. The banned users

Last edited Sun Jan 19, 2025, 09:06 AM - Edit history (1)

we’re spreading lies about Israel from the way I read it…sounds like Wikipedia is siding with the ADL, not against them.

But perhaps I’ve misunderstood.

[Beastly Boy]

4. This is not "my" propaganda.

And I will not stoop down to calling it "your" propaganda.

This is propaganda being spread by persistent antisemites who are being banned by Wikipedia from spreading malicious, false and biased information about Zionism and Israel across its platform.

But don't get too upset: they have plenty of other venues to show off their bigotry.

[Oopsie Daisy]

7. Wow. You didn't deserve that.

Great job at keeping your cool.

[thucythucy]

3. This illustrates the problem inherent in so many people

getting their news and other information from social media.

These sorts of disinformation and misinformation campaigns go a long way to explaining what's going to happen tomorrow. Facebook, Tik Tok, X, and Wiki, all apparently have been swamped with nefarious posters whose job seems to be to spread as much hate and conspiracy shit as they can, or in the words of at least one prominent MAGA strategist, "to flood the zone with shit."

Good for Wiki for at last dealing with this--though it's been a problem for years now. Holocaust denial, "Lost Cause" racist revisionists trying to rewrite the history of the American Civil War, conspiracy crap about Covid, all have been rampant. You can see it in the comments sections of YouTube videos, where some posters push back against this garbage, while some content providers turn off their comments sections entirely.

With so much of our media--social and legacy--now in the hands of right wing billionaires, we face an uphill battle trying to work our way to having an informed electorate. Until then, expect Trump, MAGA, and oligarchs and tyrants around the world to ride this tide of bullshit for all its worth.

[malaise]

5. Wiki deals with misinformation from all interests

including the ADL

[Beastly Boy]

6. And that's what they did. Wikipedia banned the above referred to characters and not ADL.